ROCHESTER, NY – Two conference unbeatens met on the Growney Stadium turf on Saturday evening, and as is customary only one unbeaten remained at the end of play. It took extra time to figure out who that would be, though, as the St. John Fisher Cardinals downed the Hartwick field hockey team, 2-1, in a rematch of this past spring's Empire 8 title game. Fisher scored late in the fourth to tie it and then again in the fourth minute of the first overtime period for the win. The victory moves the Cardinals to 8-5 overall and 6-0 in the conference, clinching a playoff spot as well as putting them in the driver's seat for home field advantage throughout the Empire 8 Tournament. The Hawks are now 8-4 overall and 4-1 in the Empire 8.
The first quarter was (almost) all Hartwick, as the box score shows with two shots and four corners to Fisher's respective one and zero. That paid off in the final minute of the period, as a Rebecca Peakes (West Chester, PA/Unionville) corner came to Julie Ruzzi (High Falls, NY/Rondout Valley) who sent it on to Sydney Gagnon (Chestertown, NY/North Warren Central) for the tally from about ten yards out, beating goalkeeper Sophia Trozzi to her left side.
The second period did not see to much action around the cage, as the only shot of the stanza went to St. John Fisher. Gianna Palma's 17th minute effort was stopped by Madison Maddocks (Garrison, NY/Walter Panas).
The action ratcheted up out of the break, with seven shots and six corners between the two sides in the third quarter. It all went for naught (at least on the scoreboard), as neither side could convert their chances into a goal. The goalkeepers were on fire in the third, as Trozzi made three saves in seven seconds in the 33rd minute, while Maddocks stopped three shots in a 20 second span under six minutes later.
Trozzi, who aggressively charged out of her crease all game to stifle Hartwick chances, stopped a Gagnon insurance effort in the 49th minute. That proved very important, as the Cardinals scored after play restarted from a corner in the 55th minute. Audrey Grieb sent it to Fisher star Bre Socker at the top of the circle, and Socker did what she does best by blasting one cleanly into the left side of the net for the equalizer at 54:06. Neither side managed a shot in the final minutes of regulation, sending the game to extra time.
Socker nearly won the game in the opening minute off another corner, but her hard shot was wide of the cage. A later Hartwick green card at 61:50 proved costly, as Socker did end the game this time. The Cardinals earned another penalty corner in the 64th minute, and Emma Cooper restarted play with a pass to Socker at the top of the circle. Socker ripped a shot that made its way past Maddocks for the game-winner.
Gagnon led all Hawks with three shots, while Lex Matarazzo (Commack, NY/Commack) was the only other Hartwick player with multiple shots at two. Maddocks played the entire game in the cage, making four saves and taking a hard-luck loss.
St. John Fisher led the shot count, 9-6, although the teams were tied with six shots on target a piece. The Cardinals also led in penalty corners, at 9-5.
'Wick will dust themselves off and get ready for another important Empire 8 contest, this time against Utica at home. It will be a rare Wright Stadium night game, this coming Wednesday, October 20 at 7 p.m.
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